Long-shot presidential nominee Rep. Tom Tancredo announced last week that he will not seek re-election to his House seat next year, even if he doesn’t win the bid for the Republican presidential nomination. The Colorado congressman, one of Washington ’s staunchest opponents of immigration said that the issue has gained other champions to take his place, and that his work is complete.  "I just figure, how many more signs do I need that I’ve done what I set out to do," he said in a telephone interview from Iowa , where he is campaigning.

Tancredo made his mark by pressing for strict reform on immigration long before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks brought the issue to the political forefront.  While it’s since become common, Rep. Tancredo was one of the first conservative Republicans to break publicly with the Bush administration, telling The Washington Times in 2002 that the president was the leading obstacle to national security.

Immigrants-rights advocates said Tancredo has done serious harm to his party.  "He’s become the leading spokesman in his party demonizing immigrants and demagoguing the immigration issue," said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum.  "It’s gotten him lots of press attention but the long-term cost to his party will be devastating.  You don’t beat up and bully the fastest-growing group of voters in the nation without paying a price."

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US Senator and Republican presidential candidate John McCain said his support of legislation to give undocumented immigrants a way to gain legal status has hurt his campaign.  The Arizonan senator was a major supporter of immigration legislation that died in the Senate in June because of Republican opposition.  He said he is now committed to making sure the borders are secure before implementing broader changes to US immigration law.